1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a collectors or harvesters for collecting weed seeds that normally would be discharged onto the ground.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Grain fields generally have a stand of various types of weeds, including materials such as wild oats, mustard and other noxious weeds which essentially are harvested along with the grain. The smaller weed seeds are separated from the grain during combining and are discharged back onto the ground, so that they will cause a problem in the next year. This problem has been recognized and ways of controlling the growth of weeds have been advanced, such as using chemicals that prevent seed germination or kill the weeds. Such chemicals tend to pollute the ground. In the prior art, some attempts have been made for collecting weed seeds or feed residues, including various attachments that are connected directly to combines. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,580,257 shows a weed seed collector for a thresher combine, that comprises a cross auger for collecting the residues from the chaff sieve of the combine and depositing the seeds into a separate tank where they are stored until they are either dumped or otherwise disposed of. The device shown in Patent '257 has a diverter so that material which normally would be discharged into a storage tank can be diverted to the combine straw walkers again, if there are no substantial amount of weed seeds present.
A trailing device for reclaiming seeds from a combine is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,926. A device utilizes a vibrating screen in a trailer that merely stores the products that fall through the screen in the bottom of the trailer, with no easy way of removing the materials. The unit is designed solely to collect straw that would be discharged out the rear of the trailer. A shaker screen, however, which is used with the present invention, is also shown in this device.
A straw conserving apparatus is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,138,185 and this is a trailer that trails behind the combine and stores the straw so that it can be removed from the field.
A feed residue saver for combines is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,160 and is for saving feed residues that ordinarily would be dropped on the ground. It utilizes an auger for directing material into a blower which then blows the material into a wagon or trailer behind the combine.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,609,929 relates to a grain and weed seed reclaiming accessory that provides a trough at the back end of a combine sieve and the material then slides down into a blower which discharges it into a storage wagon.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,868,237 shows a grain cleaning and loading apparatus that is a trailer type vehicle for connection behind a grain combine.
However, the prior art lacks a self-contained unit that will separate out and store a substantial amount of weed seed, and will discharge the straw back onto the ground so organic materials are being returned back to the soil.